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Better Place gets OK to electrify Hawaii
Back in May, AutoblogGreen brought us news that Hawaii was in talks with Better Place to set up a network of electric car recharging and batter swapping stations across the islands. Fortune now says that the state has inked a deal with Better Place to put their system in place by 2012.
The agreement is for Better Place to sell electric Nissan Rogues to consumers and, basically, rent the vehicles' batteries by the mile. The company hopes that by taking out the up-front cost of the battery, consumers will be more likely to buy an electric vehicle.
You may remember Better Place from a recent announcement that it will set up a similar network in the Bay Area. That system is also planned for a 2012 launch, which is also the date Better Place plans to flip the switch in Australia, Denmark and Israel. Sounds like somebody's gonna be busy.
Hawaii has some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation. This is one of the steps that the state is taking to reduce its dependence on oil. There's also the chance that beach-seeking tourists will take an island spin in one of the electrified Nissans, go back home and spread the green word.
[Source: Fortune]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eddie 6:03PM (12/03/2008)
I love how the Hawaiian's take care of their islands. Solar panels, wind mills for electricity, soon wave sourced electricity. You see a lot of bio-fuel cars in Maui, too.
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JDMlover 6:32PM (12/03/2008)
+1
The back drop looks very nice...much better looking then the car...
catgirlshyla 6:38PM (12/03/2008)
"I love how the Hawaiian's take care of their islands. Solar panels, wind mills for electricity, soon wave sourced electricity. You see a lot of bio-fuel cars in Maui, too."
You obviously haven't seen/heard the "background" racism, the psycho Enviro-Nuts, the "Old-Boy network," etc. etc.
kesherz 6:48PM (12/03/2008)
The outer islands are nice. Venture away from the beaches on Oahu, and... not so much. Oh, and stay away from Honolulu Chinatown at night. Trust me.
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Noah 6:56PM (12/03/2008)
Exactly. I was there recently, and my friends and I got off the main strip. At exactly 11 pm, prostitutes came out of the woodwork. The big cities aren't that great, but once you get outside, and see some forest...thats beautiful.
I'm glad SF and Hawaii are doing this, it should serve as a model for many more american cities (and states) to adopt in the coming years.
mrcarmine 8:38PM (12/03/2008)
batter swapping stations? is that for switch hitters only?
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Shadyman 8:58PM (12/03/2008)
Mmm, batter. My only question is... cookie dough or brownie mix?
mrcarmine 9:00PM (12/03/2008)
ah, the question that will vex humanity for eons.
i think my choice is cookie dough.
bill 10:06AM (12/04/2008)
I was hoping California would be the first state to electrocute itself. It would be a boon to society and give the bears somewhere to live without being hassled by home owners.
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Chris Atkinson 1:33AM (12/06/2008)
Not me- I just got back from the Big Island with my wife a few weeks ago and wouldn't have traded our rental Jeep Wrangler over the Saddle Road or through Waimei for anything. Ragtop too, baby. Screw hybrids.
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kballs 6:46PM (12/06/2008)
Who says they couldn't build electric Jeeps?
Electric motor for each wheel = no differentials = better ground clearance and better traction while still having good on-road manners (no binding/wheel-hop issues in corners due to transfer case or lockers).